Cant lose the gut!!

SpaceCowb0y

Hi

Im looking to see if anyone can help me out with something, ive been training hard for just over 2 months now. I was lifting weights 5 or 6 days a wk to begin with but my trainer has put me on a split program where I lift Monday & Tuesday, go spinning Wednesday, lift Thurs & Fri and try to go spinning on Sat if i can but besides that i rest for the wknd to recover and grow.

Since starting i have noticed major results in muscle growth but for some reason and despite a reasonably healthy balanced diet i cant seem to shed weight around the mid-rif which hangs low on me!

Average daily diet would be something like:
Breakfast: Omlette (4egg whites 1 yolk)/Weetabix(with scoop of protein)
Snack: Protein shake
Lunch: Tuna wrap/chicken wrap
Snack: Handfull of nuts/Protein shake
Dinner: Chicken/Steak & veg
(2 shakes per day, one taken straight after training)

Is there something im missing or anything i can do to burn more fat around my gut? Without taking say clenbuterol as ive looked into it and it seems it can be dangerous but am open to suggestions for other fat burners!

Thanks for any feedback!

Mellor

You are simply eating too much.

To lose weight, you need to eat less than your daily energy expenditure.
The fact that you put on major muscle, kinds of proves this. you'd need surplus calores to pack on major muscle.

So, I'd say that you need to have smaller portions. No need for the nuts of the extra shake, you are prob getting enough cals without these.

DARCHA22

Dont eat steak, too many calories
Stick to Chicken or Turkey

At the end of your weights session do some cardio, 15 mins moderate pace, your body should dip into your fat stores if you are pushing yourself enough during your weights session.

Take some omega 3's, have some olive oil over salads.

You can try a fat burner, but research it before you buy it and check reviews etc

DARCHA22

Mellor wrote: »

You are simply eating too much.

To lose weight, you need to eat less than your daily energy expenditure.

So, I'd say that you need to have smaller portions. No need for the nuts of the extra shake, you are prob getting enough cals without these.

This.

Mellor

DARCHA22 wrote: »

Dont eat steak, too many calories
Stick to Chicken or Turkey

Steak isn't a whole lot higher if you buy lean cuts. All you need to do then is have a slightly smaller piece, and its the same.

DARCHA22

Calories in 100g of breast fillet: 116kcal
Calories116.0kcalCarbohydrate0.0gProtein21.8gFat3.2gFibre0.0g
Calories in 100g of fillet steak: 191kcal

May not seem like a lot but for someone who is struggling to lose the weight it might make a difference.

Chicken is easier on the pocket too.
Calories191.3kcalCarbohydrate0.0gProtein28.6gFat8.5gFibre0.0g

Mellor

I said lean beef. Fillet isn't that lean or low in cals. You are comparing with the leanest cuts of chicken, so its not equal. Check thighs.

I have a steak here, the label says 120 cals per 100g. There is no difference there. Portion size is more important regardless

nice_guy80

SpaceCowb0y wrote: »

Hi

Im looking to see if anyone can help me out with something, ive been training hard for just over 2 months now. I was lifting weights 5 or 6 days a wk to begin with but my trainer has put me on a split program where I lift Monday & Tuesday, go spinning Wednesday, lift Thurs & Fri and try to go spinning on Sat if i can but besides that i rest for the wknd to recover and grow.

Since starting i have noticed major results in muscle growth but for some reason and despite a reasonably healthy balanced diet i cant seem to shed weight around the mid-rif which hangs low on me!

Average daily diet would be something like:
Breakfast: Omlette (4egg whites 1 yolk)/Weetabix(with scoop of protein)
Snack: Protein shake
Lunch: Tuna wrap/chicken wrap
Snack: Handfull of nuts/Protein shake
Dinner: Chicken/Steak & veg
(2 shakes per day, one taken straight after training)

Is there something im missing or anything i can do to burn more fat around my gut? Without taking say clenbuterol as ive looked into it and it seems it can be dangerous but am open to suggestions for other fat burners!

Thanks for any feedback!

green vegs??
fruit?
porridge for breakfast?? with fruit. add some shelled hemp to boost your omega oils.
add in some salad (leaves, tomatoes, cucumber, egg, cheese) for lunch, with little dressing.

emptyshed

Had similar issues, I'm a skinny yoke, decided to bulk up, high intake of protein , lots of weight, little or no cardio. Huge strenght gains, but started to put on a belly...which looked hilarious on my skinny body.

Cut back on the food, less protein, but upped the cardio, 2-3 km fast run at start of gym, 1 km run to warm down, and 3 sets of quality slow sit ups through the session 40-45 sit ups in each set.

Back to origional waist size, and got a bit more definition on the rest of the body.

SpaceCowb0y

Hi
Thanks for all the feedback!

To be honest im still kind of lost, im not overweight but carry a gut most likely from years of boozing. Iv lost weight all over from head to toe and have alot more defintion in my arms and legs since i started training but just cant seem to shift it from my stomach!

When i eat red meat i always make sure its lean cuts and cut off any excess fat on it. I do eat alot of leavy salads and plenty of green veg too! Is it just a case of too much protein, because my trainer has me on a high protein low carb diet cutting out all sugar! And i feel like its working hense the resulted weight loss i am seeing but the belly is getting annoying!

I was told taking a high dose of a fish oil supplement like Omega 3,6 +9 could help reduce body fat? Is there any truth in this??

And are there any proven fat burners out there anyone can recommend? Ones that dont come with the extreme side effects linked with clen?

dumbbell

what height are you .. waiste .. age ..

are you been honest with the diet or still drinking and how often ...

i noticed after a few months of gmy my belly went out .. it was like i was having a baby i thought it was down to the shakes.. turned out it was the muscles in the core area pushing out my stomach .. stoped doing sit ups and crunches for a monthand a bit and replaced with high and low speed jogs for 20 mins a day AFTER weight trainging and then returned to the core are and worked on it and stomach became flater and noticeale abs (no full on 6 pack) but not a beer belly either

amonly a novice but maybe can help from my experience

hydroxycut i have heard good things but as a caution take no half the recomended intake as it is strong stuff. i found my self nearly fainting on it after a week .. cut back on the dose and after 2 weeks gave it up after feeling my heart was seriously going out of control while cycleing after 2 - 3 miles .. may give it another shot in a few weeks. but not the way the bottle said to take

SpaceCowb0y

dumbbell wrote: »

what height are you .. waiste .. age ..

are you been honest with the diet or still drinking and how often ...

i noticed after a few months of gmy my belly went out .. it was like i was having a baby i thought it was down to the shakes.. turned out it was the muscles in the core area pushing out my stomach .. stoped doing sit ups and crunches for a monthand a bit and replaced with high and low speed jogs for 20 mins a day AFTER weight trainging and then returned to the core are and worked on it and stomach became flater and noticeale abs (no full on 6 pack) but not a beer belly either

amonly a novice but maybe can help from my experience

hydroxycut i have heard good things but as a caution take no half the recomended intake as it is strong stuff. i found my self nearly fainting on it after a week .. cut back on the dose and after 2 weeks gave it up after feeling my heart was seriously going out of control while cycleing after 2 - 3 miles .. may give it another shot in a few weeks. but not the way the bottle said to take

Im 24, 6ft 1" and have a 33/34" waist but like u say it hangs out in front almost like im pregnant!!! A few people have said to me now about doing more cardio after weights but im already doing 1 or 2 spin classes a wk!

As far as diet is concerned i am strict enough but to be fair since xmas ive been going out most wknds again! Im taking another month off now to see if i can shed some weight off the gut while off the drink so hopefully ill start to see some results!

Roger Marbles

SpaceCowb0y wrote: »

Im 24, 6ft 1" and have a 33/34" waist but like u say it hangs out in front almost like im pregnant!!! A few people have said to me now about doing more cardio after weights but im already doing 1 or 2 spin classes a wk!

As far as diet is concerned i am strict enough but to be fair since xmas ive been going out most wknds again! Im taking another month off now to see if i can shed some weight off the gut while off the drink so hopefully ill start to see some results!

Clearly it isn't strict so. You are basically undoing all the good work you have done during the week at the weekend.

As mellor said it's calories in vs calories out. Your exercise regime will cause weight loss, but only when allied with a calorie deficit diet.

GoldRush4821

Well firstly man, don't feel bad about going out at weekends. You gotta enjoy yourself. However, that being said, you've got to expect it to be more difficult to lose your gut if you're drinking all those empty calories at the weekends. Fat from the stomach (visceral fat) is very often the last to be shed as this is important fat for protecting vital organs. Bear this in mind. Fat will be shed from the rest of your body faster than your gut. Then again, after 2 months you would expect to notice somewhat of a change. I would advise looking into fat supplements such as Udo's oil which I take myself. They replace the "bad fats" in your body with fish fats - Omegas like you said - which are the fats you want to have in your body(and need). I'd also look at alternative methods of cardio. I personally haven't had much experience of spinning but I think if you did a 30 - 40 minute jog 3 days a week you would notice a better improvement. Also, Thai boxing or any variant of this is a great way of burning extra fat. I think if you equal the intensity of your work outs with a more intense cardio regime, you will burn the fat off much faster than you have for the past 2 months. Good luck anyway!

SpaceCowb0y

GoldRush4821 wrote: »

Well firstly man, don't feel bad about going out at weekends. You gotta enjoy yourself. However, that being said, you've got to expect it to be more difficult to lose your gut if you're drinking all those empty calories at the weekends. Fat from the stomach (visceral fat) is very often the last to be shed as this is important fat for protecting vital organs. Bear this in mind. Fat will be shed from the rest of your body faster than your gut. Then again, after 2 months you would expect to notice somewhat of a change. I would advise looking into fat supplements such as Udo's oil which I take myself. They replace the "bad fats" in your body with fish fats - Omegas like you said - which are the fats you want to have in your body(and need). I'd also look at alternative methods of cardio. I personally haven't had much experience of spinning but I think if you did a 30 - 40 minute jog 3 days a week you would notice a better improvement. Also, Thai boxing or any variant of this is a great way of burning extra fat. I think if you equal the intensity of your work outs with a more intense cardio regime, you will burn the fat off much faster than you have for the past 2 months. Good luck anyway!

I will admit i have seen somewhat of a reduction in my waist line but nothing compared to how i feel i should with the amount of trining i do! Ill take a look into a supplement such as Udo's oil, is this something you can taske along with omega or alternatively?

Doug Cartel

GoldRush4821 wrote: »

I would advise looking into fat supplements such as Udo's oil which I take myself. They replace the "bad fats" in your body with fish fats - Omegas like you said - which are the fats you want to have in your body(and need).

Are you sure about that?

metamorphosis

Doug Cartel wrote: »

Are you sure about that?

I was going to say the same.

You cannot replace bad fats in your body (aka hydrogenated fats and oils, most trans fats). Cut out the bad fats and up the good fats. We get far too much omega 6 (from industrial seed oils primarily been in everything packaged these days, also in other good foods like nuts etc) in relation to omega 3. Ideally, the ratio should aim towards 1:1; omega 6:3. This is hard to achieve without been prudent but just cutting out the hydrogenated fats and eating more omega 3 (oily fish, omega 3 enriched eggs, cod liver oil supp), you're on the right tack.

GoldRush4821

Udo's oil gives you the perfect combination of Omegas 3 6 and 9 so if you were to take that, you wouldn't need to take anything else in terms of omegas. The only problem is, it's pretty expensive and in terms of losing weight it's not going to do wonders. It's more of an all round health thing and might help you lose a few extra inches in the long run. If you're concerned about overall health, i'd advise it but I'm sure there are better fat loss supplements out there atm.. But tbh they can actually be harmful to your health more than anything... Maybe look into it yourself and see how you feel coz you can get a smaller bottle of the udo's oil for something like €15 rather than €25 for the larger bottle... Test it out and see how you feel.

P.S I take it on its own on a spoon and it tastes like death but you can mix it into food and it's not as bad.. Just more of a convenience thing for me..

Good luck!

Doug Cartel

GoldRush4821 wrote: »

Udo's oil gives you the perfect combination of Omegas 3 6 and 9 so if you were to take that, you wouldn't need to take anything else in terms of omegas.

Or you could just eat more oily fish.

It's more of an all round health thing and might help you lose a few extra inches in the long run.

Getting the right fatty acids is important for your health, but it won't make any difference to your waist line.

TommyKnocker

GoldRush4821 wrote: »

Udo's oil gives you the perfect combination of Omegas 3 6 and 9 so if you were to take that, you wouldn't need to take anything else in terms of omegas. The only problem is, it's pretty expensive and in terms of losing weight it's not going to do wonders. It's more of an all round health thing and might help you lose a few extra inches in the long run. If you're concerned about overall health, i'd advise it but I'm sure there are better fat loss supplements out there atm.. But tbh they can actually be harmful to your health more than anything... Maybe look into it yourself and see how you feel coz you can get a smaller bottle of the udo's oil for something like €15 rather than €25 for the larger bottle... Test it out and see how you feel.

P.S I take it on its own on a spoon and it tastes like death but you can mix it into food and it's not as bad.. Just more of a convenience thing for me..

Good luck!

I am sorry but that is not totally true. Udo's Oil is marketed as having the perfect ratio of omega's, however this is a claim from the manufacturer, so should be taken with a pinch of salt. Personally I would not depend on a signle source for my fat intake. Just like a varied diet is advised to meet you nutritional requirements, I wold expect that different fat sources provide a different nutrient profile, so I would be inclined to try and get my fats from different sources (meats, oliy fish, nuts, seeds, dairy, olive oil, coconut oil etc).

Also Metamorphosis's point was that there is an over abundance of omega 6 in the average diet and you need to work to balance out your omega intake. So if your diet is currently out of whack regarding the ratio of omega3/6/9, then simply adding Udo's oil into your diet will not address this issue as although you have a increased your fat intake, if Udo's is the perfect ratio, then you have not addressed the imbalance you started off with.

Also if somebody has a gut which is hanging over their belt like thay are pregnant, then IMO (and I am no expert) but this is Subcutaneous fat and not Viscreal fat.

And again IMO it is pointless the OP simply adding Udo's oil into his diet, as unless he has an unknown/undiagnosed medical condition preventing him from losing weight, his diet is not as good as he thinks it is, and simply adding in any form of healthy fat is simply adding in more calories which will only exacerbate the issue.

IMO the OP needs to workout his daily calorie requirements. Then using whole foods which combine protein, healthy fats and carbs (mostly from fiberous sources), start eating a daily calorie deficit of around 500 cals. If the OP choses to drink alcohol at the weekends, then he will need to factor in the calories provided by the alcohol.

It really is not rocket science, eat slightly less than you need to lose weight. Exercise to look good naked.

Finally a point I think a lot of folks miss is that you need to re-evaluate your calorie requirements on an ongoing basis as you lose weight (fat), because as you get lighter, your maintenance figure drops and if you don't adjust, the the weight (fat) loss stalls.

rocky

Udo's Oil is made from flax and other seeds. The actual essential fatty acids EPA and DHA are converted in the body from ALA (that Udo has) with an efficiency of 5% in men.

Cod Liver Oil is a much better alternative, it contains EPA and DHA and will also have Vitamins D and A.

GoldRush4821

TommyKnocker wrote: »

I am sorry but that is not totally true. Udo's Oil is marketed as having the perfect ratio of omega's, however this is a claim from the manufacturer, so should be taken with a pinch of salt. Personally I would not depend on a signle source for my fat intake. Just like a varied diet is advised to meet you nutritional requirements, I wold expect that different fat sources provide a different nutrient profile, so I would be inclined to try and get my fats from different sources (meats, oliy fish, nuts, seeds, dairy, olive oil, coconut oil etc).

Also Metamorphosis's point was that there is an over abundance of omega 6 in the average diet and you need to work to balance out your omega intake. So if your diet is currently out of whack regarding the ratio of omega3/6/9, then simply adding Udo's oil into your diet will not address this issue as although you have a increased your fat intake, if Udo's is the perfect ratio, then you have not addressed the imbalance you started off with.

Also if somebody has a gut which is hanging over their belt like thay are pregnant, then IMO (and I am no expert) but this is Subcutaneous fat and not Viscreal fat.

And again IMO it is pointless the OP simply adding Udo's oil into his diet, as unless he has an unknown/undiagnosed medical condition preventing him from losing weight, his diet is not as good as he thinks it is, and simply adding in any form of healthy fat is simply adding in more calories which will only exacerbate the issue.

IMO the OP needs to workout his daily calorie requirements. Then using whole foods which combine protein, healthy fats and carbs (mostly from fiberous sources), start eating a daily calorie deficit of around 500 cals. If the OP choses to drink alcohol at the weekends, then he will need to factor in the calories provided by the alcohol.

It really is not rocket science, eat slightly less than you need to lose weight. Exercise to look good naked.

Finally a point I think a lot of folks miss is that you need to re-evaluate your calorie requirements on an ongoing basis as you lose weight (fat), because as you get lighter, your maintenance figure drops and if you don't adjust, the the weight (fat) loss stalls.

Firstly, I'd like to point out that by "taking omegas", I was referring to omega supplements which I thought the OP was asking me about. Clearly that was misunderstood, but obviously I'm not saying solely rely on Udo's oil and completely neglect oily fish. At the same time, not everyone can afford to, or wants to, eat oily fish everyday so I'm suggesting that this is a good replacement.

On the point of Omega 6, I wasn't aware of the excess Omega 6 we get everyday tbh but I do know that Omega 3 is the most important one out of the lot, and that the ratio is 2:1:1 with Omega 3 being the 2.. So perhaps they have taken this into consideration when producing the oil, I really don't know.

I am almost completely sure that this is referred to as visceral fat, but if someone can correct me then please do.

I really do not think adding Udo's oil will exacerbate the OP's problem, as many hardcore weight trainers take the stuff and I'm sure they are sticking to diets even more calorie restrictive than his. It is recognised by most people as a good addition to your diet, but as I said in a previous post "it's pretty expensive and in terms of losing weight it's not going to do wonders". I tried to put more emphasis on a more intensive cardio regime but that message didn't seem to get through. If he wants to lose serious weight then, like I said, he will have to look at his cardio because it does not seem to be enough to burn the gut off at this moment in time.

Seeing as I've been mostly on the defensive for this thread, let me just say that your suggestion of eating a 500 calorie deficit doesn't seem feasible considering the OP's diet. He doesn't seem to be eating that much and taking 500 calories all of a sudden will not do him much good. It needs to firstly be a more gradual reduction of calories and secondly needs to be coupled with increased cardio so his diet isn't taking all of the damage.

rocky

A calorie deficit = calories out - calories in.

You can get to a 500Cal deficit by expending more (exercise), eating less, or a combination of the two.

GoldRush4821

TommyKnocker wrote: »

I am sorry but that is not totally true. Udo's Oil is marketed as having the perfect ratio of omega's, however this is a claim from the manufacturer, so should be taken with a pinch of salt. Personally I would not depend on a signle source for my fat intake. Just like a varied diet is advised to meet you nutritional requirements, I wold expect that different fat sources provide a different nutrient profile, so I would be inclined to try and get my fats from different sources (meats, oliy fish, nuts, seeds, dairy, olive oil, coconut oil etc).

Also Metamorphosis's point was that there is an over abundance of omega 6 in the average diet and you need to work to balance out your omega intake. So if your diet is currently out of whack regarding the ratio of omega3/6/9, then simply adding Udo's oil into your diet will not address this issue as although you have a increased your fat intake, if Udo's is the perfect ratio, then you have not addressed the imbalance you started off with.

Also if somebody has a gut which is hanging over their belt like thay are pregnant, then IMO (and I am no expert) but this is Subcutaneous fat and not Viscreal fat.

And again IMO it is pointless the OP simply adding Udo's oil into his diet, as unless he has an unknown/undiagnosed medical condition preventing him from losing weight, his diet is not as good as he thinks it is, and simply adding in any form of healthy fat is simply adding in more calories which will only exacerbate the issue.

IMO the OP needs to workout his daily calorie requirements. Then using whole foods which combine protein, healthy fats and carbs (mostly from fiberous sources), start eating a daily calorie deficit of around 500 cals. If the OP choses to drink alcohol at the weekends, then he will need to factor in the calories provided by the alcohol.

It really is not rocket science, eat slightly less than you need to lose weight. Exercise to look good naked.

Finally a point I think a lot of folks miss is that you need to re-evaluate your calorie requirements on an ongoing basis as you lose weight (fat), because as you get lighter, your maintenance figure drops and if you don't adjust, the the weight (fat) loss stalls.

Operative word being "eating". My point is that he shouldn't just drastically cut out 500 calories like the poster is implying because his body won't be able to handle it. Like you said, a combination of the two.

TommyKnocker

GoldRush4821 wrote: »

I am almost completely sure that this is referred to as visceral fat, but if someone can correct me then please do.

Having read a little more on this I believe you are indeed correct and I am wrong I mixed up my terms, so my apologies on that point.

I really do not think adding Udo's oil will exacerbate the OP's problem, as many hardcore weight trainers take the stuff and I'm sure they are sticking to diets even more calorie restrictive than his. It is recognised by most people as a good addition to your diet, but as I said in a previous post "it's pretty expensive and in terms of losing weight it's not going to do wonders".

My point here was that I think the unless the OP has an unknown/undiagnosed condition which is affecting them losing weight, then there is something not quite right. Possibly the OP is eating at too large a deficit for too long which has caused his metabolism to slow down. So simply adding Udo's oil into the diet without removing something else to compensate for the calories provided by the oil could lead to weight gain rather then reduction in the short term.

I tried to put more emphasis on a more intensive cardio regime but that message didn't seem to get through. If he wants to lose serious weight then, like I said, he will have to look at his cardio because it does not seem to be enough to burn the gut off at this moment in time.

It has been my personal experience that I can lose weight without any exercise at all, once I eat a calorie deficit. I workout/train for fitness and strenght as well as astethic reasons

Seeing as I've been mostly on the defensive for this thread, let me just say that your suggestion of eating a 500 calorie deficit doesn't seem feasible considering the OP's diet. He doesn't seem to be eating that much and taking 500 calories all of a sudden will not do him much good. It needs to firstly be a more gradual reduction of calories and secondly needs to be coupled with increased cardio so his diet isn't taking all of the damage.

If you read my post again you will see that I advised the OP to firstly workout their required maintenance calorie figure, and then deduct 500 from that figure. I did not advise to simply lop 500 calories off his current diet as I would agree it does not seem like they are eating enough at this moment in time.

I am 7 inches shorter and twice the age of the OP and I eat at least twice as much calories as the OP and maybe more for maintenance.

OP really needs to go back to the basics and work out how many calories they required for maintenance, and then work on from there IMO

.

rocky

500 cals is not a drastic cut for a 6'1'' man that would have maintenance at least 2600-2700 calories. And it would only lead to 1 pound of weight loss a week.

Degsy

Cut out the booze for three months.

Ten pints=3000 calories...3000 calories=1lb of fat.
Three months off booze should result in a minimum 14 lbs weight loss regardless of whatever else you are doing.

SpaceCowb0y

TommyKnocker wrote: »

IMO the OP needs to workout his daily calorie requirements. Then using whole foods which combine protein, healthy fats and carbs (mostly from fiberous sources), start eating a daily calorie deficit of around 500 cals. If the OP choses to drink alcohol at the weekends, then he will need to factor in the calories provided by the alcohol.

This is something ive been trying to figure out, im not sure exactly how to go about calculating exactly how many calories i am eating a day? my diet, bar the alcohol, is fairly healthy i think and the only carbs im getting are from either wholegrain wraps, brown/wholegrain rice & pasta & veg. I try to get in at least a tin if not 2 of tuna a day in as well as some sort of meat for dinner. Im taking the next month off alcohol and as was suggested before going to keep it to 1 shake a day and maybe leave out the nuts but i find that in between meals im still starving if i start cutting even more out ill constantly be hungry which cant be good?

Regards to increased cardio I spoke to my trainer and im going to do a 20 min jog on the treadmill/cross trainer at the end of my workout as well as the spin classes im taking. I do train hard so how do i know how much im burning and how much i should be eating to maintain steady weight loss?

TommyKnocker

OP Please post your weight and give a breakdown of your weekly training if you can.

What days you train.
What you do each day sets/reps/weights lifted

Also give an idea of your average alcohol consumption if you don't mind.

As an idea, I'm male, 5' 6", 48yrs old, 12.5st @ 13%BF, 31" waist and here is an average days food intake for me. This is maintenance for me as I work out 5-6 days a week. I am not saying this is perfect, but I feel it's not too shabby.

05:20 Breakfast
20g Oats, 3 Almond nuts, 4 hazel nuts, 4 brazil nuts, 4 half walnuts, table spn of mixed seeds, 6 grapes, 6 raspberries, 6 blackberries, 3 strawberries, table spn blueberries with 200ml skimmed milk.
200ml Cranberry Juice
1 Mug green tea

Supplements: 1 multi vit, 4 fish oil caps, 1 tea spn of Coconut oil, 1 Mega Cissus, 2 Glucosamine & Chondritin (for Joints)

09:00 At desk in work
2 scoops ON Protein, 5g Creatine 5g L-Glutamine, 300ml skimmed milk
2 generous tea spns of Peanut Butter
1/2 Banana
1 mug green tea

13:00Lunch
Today will be 2 5oz chicken breasts, 350g Ratatouille (homemade)
1 kiwi fruit
1 mug green tea.

16:00 At desk in work
150g homemade Cottage Cheese and mixed berries mix.
1/2 Banana

Workout between 18:00-19:00
Tonight was cardio, 30 mins running (sprints) 20 mins kettlebells + Flexability (P90X stretch routine)

19:10 Post workout shake
2 scoops of ON Protein, 1.5 scoops of Glucose, 5g Creatine, 5g L-Glutamine, 400ml ice cold water.

20:15 ish Dinner
Tonight I'm about to have a 7oz Salmon fillet and some green beans and brocolli with some beurre noisette (browned butter and lime juice) over the fish and veg
1 Mug green tea,

Supplements: tea spoon of Coconut oil & 2 megs Cissus

I also got through about 3 lt of water throughout the day

SpaceCowb0y

TommyKnocker wrote: »

OP Please post your weight and give a breakdown of your weekly training if you can.

What days you train.
What you do each day sets/reps/weights lifted

Also give an idea of your average alcohol consumption if you don't mind.

Current weight is approx 13stone.

If i go out at the weekend and drink its usualy about 10 pints a night give or take, and often go out Fri & Sat night and sometimes every night of the weekend. But as iv already said im not touching a drop now for the next 4 weeks


Train 5/6 days a week:

Mon & Thurs: Chest, Shoulders & Triceps
10 min cardio warm up

• Chest press x8
• Tricep extension x12 Block A x4
• shoulder press x8

Rest 2 mins

• Incline Bench x8
• Tricep pushups x10 Block B x4
• Rear shoulder press x10

rest 2 mins

• Cable flies(lower) x 15
• Bodyweight dips x 8 Block C x4
• upright row x12

Wednesday: 45min spin class

Tues & Fri: Legs, Back & Biceps
10 mins cardio warm up

Front squats (with barbell) x8
Assisted chin ups x8 Block A x4
barbell curls x8

rest 2 mins

Forward Lunges x8
DB curls x10 Block B x4
Deadlift x10

rest 2 mins

Single leg step ups x10
Barbell row x 12 Block C x4
21's Easy Bar curls

Saturday: If i wake up early enough i go for a 45min spin class

GoldRush4821

SpaceCowb0y wrote: »

Current weight is approx 13stone.

If i go out at the weekend and drink its usualy about 10 pints a night give or take, and often go out Fri & Sat night and sometimes every night of the weekend. But as iv already said im not touching a drop now for the next 4 weeks


Train 5/6 days a week:

Mon & Thurs: Chest, Shoulders & Triceps
10 min cardio warm up

• Chest press x8
• Tricep extension x12 Block A x4
• shoulder press x8

Rest 2 mins

• Incline Bench x8
• Tricep pushups x10 Block B x4
• Rear shoulder press x10

rest 2 mins

• Cable flies(lower) x 15
• Bodyweight dips x 8 Block C x4
• upright row x12

Wednesday: 45min spin class

Tues & Fri: Legs, Back & Biceps
10 mins cardio warm up

Front squats (with barbell) x8
Assisted chin ups x8 Block A x4
barbell curls x8

rest 2 mins

Forward Lunges x8
DB curls x10 Block B x4
Deadlift x10

rest 2 mins

Single leg step ups x10
Barbell row x 12 Block C x4
21's Easy Bar curls

Saturday: If i wake up early enough i go for a 45min spin class

Lol, you've gotten to the root of the problem right there. It's called a beer gut for a reason. Your're basically going out at the weekend reversing all the calories you've burnt over the week. At least you recognise that and can make a change if that's what you want. If you don't at least moderate your alcohol consumption, you are going to have that gut for quite some time.

SpaceCowb0y

To be fair i havnt been going out too much lately, i had a bad time last october and have been keeping it relatively tame and was sick with swine flu over Christmas so didnt drink at all then. I have been out a fair bit since but nothing to crazy! ! big all weekender in Jan and just the occasional night out otherwise but nothing hectic! I will accept tho that the times i have gone out on a big weekend i have gone through a fair amount of alcohol but surely thats not all thats preventing my gut from shrinking?

GoldRush4821

Well, you say you've been training hard for 2 months so if you haven't been drinking that much over that time then it may not be that. I just can't imagine you'd be incapable of losing the gut when the fat is being stripped off other places, as you've said it has. I don't see a reason why your body would be so desperate to cling onto it. I mean yes its visceral fat and it serves a purpose but that hardly means us humans need a pot belly just to protect our vital organs...

I think, up the intensity of the cardio, keep it strict with the diet and try to avoid alcohol for the month like you said. I would be very surprised if you didn't lose a considerable amount off your stomach, but if not, you can always come back on boards and tell me off for not knowing what I'm talking about!

Good luck with it, hope you can pull it off.

FTA69

SpaceCowb0y wrote: »

but surely thats not all thats preventing my gut from shrinking?

It's by far and away the biggest reason. You'll find the vast majority of those with a six-pack etc are not downing 20 pints a weekend. I was off the sauce for a month until I fell off the wagon last weekend and the difference is huge.

SpaceCowb0y

GoldRush4821 wrote: »

you say you've been training hard for 2 months so if you haven't been drinking that much over that time then it may not be that. I just can't imagine you'd be incapable of losing the gut when the fat is being stripped off other places, as you've said it has.

Yeah ive been wondering the same thing, but i do reckon alcohol consumption is definitely playin its part! Im looking forward to this next month of sobriety and hard training, Ill definitely up the cardio from now on too! Hope i get the results for it! Thanks for all the feedback!:)

Roger Marbles

The thing about alcohol is that it isn't just extra calories (which can be massive), it's also the fact that it diverts your body's metabolism towards body fat storage at the expense of other pathways by increasing levels of NADH in the body. Double whammy.

Mellor

Degsy wrote: »

Cut out the booze for three months.

Ten pints=3000 calories...3000 calories=1lb of fat.
Three months off booze should result in a minimum 14 lbs weight loss regardless of whatever else you are doing.

A beer is about 200 cals, not 300 and its 3500 cals to a lb of fat.

I agree beer can be a problem. But you're exaggerating a lot there.

SanoVitae

Beer has a really bad effect in terms of water retention, not just fat gain. This is what causes the bloated look, not just in the stomach, but also the face.

The stomach tends to bloat up because of the accumulation of sulphur-bearing gases in the in the gut. So apart from the calorie content (not that much when you drink in moderation), it's something to be aware of.

Degsy

Mellor wrote: »

A beer is about 200 cals, not 300 and its 3500 cals to a lb of fat.

I agree beer can be a problem. But you're exaggerating a lot there.

A lot you say?
Sorry if i didnt trawl the internet for exact facts and figures..sometimes its easier and i'm sure the OP will get the point.

Drinking beer causes a beer belly if you do too much of it..a night's drinking can be bad for the belly in more ways than one..how many people do you see thronging Abrakbebra and Supermacs at 4am looking to stuff themselves with shiite to soak up the beer.

boomtown84

Degsy wrote: »

A lot you say?
Sorry if i didnt trawl the internet for exact facts and figures..sometimes its easier and i'm sure the OP will get the point.

Drinking beer causes a beer belly if you do too much of it..a night's drinking can be bad for the belly in more ways than one..how many people do you see thronging Abrakbebra and Supermacs at 4am looking to stuff themselves with shiite to soak up the beer.

how very dare you!

Sparky_Larks

Losing weight does come down to the calorie deficit. The problem is in calculating the calorie deficit.

This is what I do and have found it effective.
1) Set-up an excel sheet to do all the calculations below,

2) Weigh myself on an electronic scales with fat percentage every morning
Use my Body fat and weight to calculate my Basal metabolic rate. 370 + (21.6 X lean mass in kg.

3) Multiply my Basal by 1.2( as I work in a sedentary job)

4) Log everything I eat and the exercise I do.

5) subtract the Calories out from calories in

If I want to lose weight I make sure I have a deficit of 500 calories, any bigger and I start to lose muscle.

gingangoolu

Years ago when I played rugby and wanted a flat stomach, a trainer told me never eat after 6pm, I didn't and it worked. Obviously, eat less-exercise more is important but if you want a hard stomach then I'd def. reccommend not eating after 6.

boomtown84

gingangoolu wrote: »

Years ago when I played rugby and wanted a flat stomach, a trainer told me never eat after 6pm, I didn't and it worked. Obviously, eat less-exercise more is important but if you want a hard stomach then I'd def. reccommend not eating after 6.

i think you posted in the wrong thread.
this one is probably more suitable: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056180987

gymsoldier

Sparky_Larks wrote: »

Weigh myself on an electronic scales with fat percentage every morning
Use my Body fat and weight to calculate my Basal metabolic rate

And for the people without the fancy weighing scales;

use the Harris-Benedict equation.

Sparky_Larks

gymsoldier wrote: »

And for the people without the fancy weighing scales;

use the Harris-Benedict equation.

I used the Harris-Benedict equation at first but found that it worked out at about 300cal too high. Bought the fancy scales for 27euro in Lidl. The Katch McArdle formula seamed much more accurate.

gymsoldier

Sparky_Larks wrote: »

I used the Harris-Benedict equation at first but found that it worked out at about 300cal too high. Bought the fancy scales for 27euro in Lidl. The Katch McArdle formula seamed much more accurate.

Explain; why did you feel it was 300cals too high?

EDIT: Just used your method, and I came out with the same calories as the H-B equation. My bodyfat precentage came from skinfold measurements taken 2weeks ago. So was the H-B method 300cals too high? Probly not, I think its inaccurate bodyfat estimation on your behalf.

Mellor

Degsy wrote: »

A lot you say?
Sorry if i didnt trawl the internet for exact facts and figures..sometimes its easier and i'm sure the OP will get the point[/B]
Yeah i said a lot. You disagee?
You said 10 pints = 1 lb pf fat
When its actually about 17 or 18,

I didn't trawl the internet the fact that 3500 is roughly 1 lb is pretty well known. i was just correcting an error in your post. No need to get so defensive.

Drinking beer causes a beer belly if you do too much of it..a night's drinking can be bad for the belly in more ways than one..how many people do you see thronging Abrakbebra and Supermacs at 4am looking to stuff themselves with shiite to soak up the beer.

???????
I agreed with you that beer was terrible, it's defo the worst part of my diet.
And obviously food after is just as bad, if not worse.

6 pints and a snack box on the way home is easily the daily calories for an adult

Sparky_Larks

gymsoldier wrote: »

Explain; why did you feel it was 300cals too high?

EDIT: Just used your method, and I came out with the same calories as the H-B equation. My bodyfat precentage came from skinfold measurements taken 2weeks ago. So was the H-B method 300cals too high? Probly not, I think its inaccurate bodyfat estimation on your behalf.

I felt it was too high because I was losing weight at a lower rate than I expected. my calculation had me losing a pound a week(500 cal deficit a day) but it was taking a good bit longer.

I was 5ft 11 217 lbs 28% body fat.
Harris Benidict was 2129 multiplied by 1.2 = 2550
Klatch McArdle was 1870 multiplied by 1.2 = 2244


The results that I saw seamed to imply that the body fat was correct for me
Now at 5 11 195lbs 18.5% body fat the numbers are closer.

Harris benidict is 1995
Klatch McArdle is 1852

Mellor

gymsoldier wrote: »

Explain; why did you feel it was 300cals too high?

EDIT: Just used your method, and I came out with the same calories as the H-B equation. My bodyfat precentage came from skinfold measurements taken 2weeks ago. So was the H-B method 300cals too high? Probly not, I think its inaccurate bodyfat estimation on your behalf.

I imagine you are about 14% BF or so.
How does the accuracy of his bf matter? Surely there are some people at those values, who would get the 300 cal difference.

Two people at the same weight, one at 10% bf and the other at 30% body fat. Have very different BMR values.

Harris Benedict doesn't account for this, so its a widely known flaw.
But it's just a rough guide. It aims to tell you what the BMR is for the average person. Which is about 14 or 15 % afaik. If you are fat it will over estimate, if you are very lean it will underestimate.

To prove this, open up a calculator both. Use the same weight/height/age/sex for each.
Plug in 25% body fat, McArdle is lower right.
now drop this to 8% body fat. McArdle is higher now i bet.

gymsoldier

Sparky_Larks wrote: »

I felt it was too high because I was losing weight at a lower rate than I expected. my calculation had me losing a pound a week(500 cal deficit a day) but it was taking a good bit longer.

I was 5ft 11 217 lbs 28% body fat.
Harris Benidict was 2129 multiplied by 1.2 = 2550
Klatch McArdle was 1870 multiplied by 1.2 = 2244


The results that I saw seamed to imply that the body fat was correct for me
Now at 5 11 195lbs 18.5% body fat the numbers are closer.

Harris benidict is 1995
Klatch McArdle is 1852

You should only reduce calories by 15% according to Bean's law.

Mellor wrote: »

I imagine you are about 14% BF or so.
How does the accuracy of his bf matter? Surely there are some people at those values, who would get the 300 cal difference.

Two people at the same weight, one at 10% bf and the other at 30% body fat. Have very different BMR values.

Harris Benedict doesn't account for this, so its a widely known flaw.
But it's just a rough guide. It aims to tell you what the BMR is for the average person. Which is about 14 or 15 % afaik. If you are fat it will over estimate, if you are very lean it will underestimate.

To prove this, open up a calculator both. Use the same weight/height/age/sex for each.
Plug in 25% body fat, McArdle is lower right.
now drop this to 8% body fat. McArdle is higher now i bet.

My BF is a shade under 8% with BF calapries reading 19.2mm total on four locations using the Durnin/Womersley Caliper Method.

The accuracy of his BF is hugely important when using his K McA method, even you said yourself that HB dosent account for BF therefore making it even more important to have accuracy. I agree though with people at differnt BF will have different BMR. What I was stating though was that when I did both methods, I came out with the same BMR. So I suggest that "Sparky_Larks" starts using BF calipers to determine BF.

Copper23

All great advice here.
The gut is probably one of the last areas to start losing weight and the first to put it on in guys especially so depending how you are made up you might be on track but just have to continue.

Having said that 2 things are helping me now end:

Food scales. I bought a cool little ditigal one on ebay. Cheap. Weight every portion, prepare if you are on the go.

Livestrong.com/myplate : Track every morsel you eat. Set up a realistic goal. Realise what it will take to loose 1-2 lbs a week. Track everything you eat there and using the scales be completely honest about portion size.

No gimmicks, no tricks, this is working for me as long as I'm totally honest about portion sizes.

I know, it seems a pain but I said the same for too long and its working for me now.
The foods your eating seems ok so I'm guessing it's just portion size.
The first 2-3 days you cut calories, you can seem hungry, this takes will power, by day 4-5 you will be back to normal energy with good foods no longer hungry. It works, plenty water too.

Seriously. No gimmicks here, this works. After ages of struggling to understand it, I got confused with diet plans, exact foods to eat and all sorts of workouts. Keep your workout simple. Calculate your goals and stick to it. Nothing else. I used to workout killing myself and then cause myself to actually eat more and it just cancelled it out. I actually don't kill myself with exercise right now, just enough and watch the calories in vs. out.